Fallen Friend
by batman-defeats-all
Summary: No one suspected anything was wrong when Robin didn't come to the mountain that night. He was the Boy Wonder, surely he could take care of himself.
1. Chapter 1

**This is very possibly the darkest thing I have ever written. I've written scenes of similar topics before, but never in so much detail. Warning, this will be very... Dark. Ironically, this is my first YJ story. I've been writing Artemis Fowl fanfiction for a few years on a different site, but never any YJ.. I hope I got the characters down...**

**I don't own Young Justice. **

"Kid Idiot, you get back here with my arrows!"

The 'Kid Idiot' in question, also known as Wally, laughed as he raced forwards out of his pursuer's reach. This pursuer was the fiery-tempered archer Artemis. This temper had ignited when Wally had decided that it would be funny to steal her arrows. Artemis was obviously not amused.

On the other side of the room, sitting on plush green couches, Megan and Conner were watching some romantic comedy movie. Conner had originally wanted to just watch the 'no signal' screen, but the Martian had decided this was most likely not healthy for her boyfriend to only watch static, so she made him watch the movie. They completely ignored the bickering going on between Wally and Artemis, being completely used to this.

Kaldur was sitting on a stool next to the kitchen counter, dully watching his team mates fight. Briefly scanning over the room, the leader could not help but notice the absence of the team's youngest member. Robin was nowhere in the room, which, though not completely unusual, was not expected. This worry was mostly because the boy usually called ahead if he could not leave Gotham to spend time with the team. No such call had been made to any member of the team. Now slightly worried, the leader walked over to the bickering Wally and Artemis.

"Have either of you seen Robin? He did not call to say he could not come. Has he been seen anywhere in the cave?"

The speedster waved off Kaldur's worries.

"Oh, he's probably just caught up in Gotham, and couldn't call because he was too busy being the Boy Wonder. I wouldn't worry about it. He's trained by _Batman_, he can handle himself."

The leader frowned slightly.

"Perhaps."

The two went back to their chase, leaving their leader behind. Kaldur, instead of feeling better, as Wally had obviously tried to make him, felt much worse. He had a bad feeling about this situation. It just did not make sense for Robin to not call.

He felt that the thirteen-year-old was in grave danger. He severely hoped he was wrong, and that Wally was right.

Sighing, the leader sat down next to Megan and Conner to watch the movie.

In Gotham, laughter rang out in a warehouse. This was not the slightly eerie laughter of the lighthearted Boy Wonder, but the cold, maniacal laughter of Gotham's worse psycho.

On the cold concrete at the madman's feet lay Robin, breathing heavily. His costume was torn in many places, the cape in tatters. The cloth still clinging to his body was soaked with the boy's deep crimson blood. His ebony hair was also drenched in his own blood from a head injury. The only thing still completely intact in his costume was the domino mask that covered his bright blue eyes. His utility belt had been thrown to the side what seemed like hours ago, but could have been minutes for all the restrained Boy Wonder knew.

All he was sure of was how unlikely it was he would make it out of this one.

The Joker laughed again, kneeling down to the level of Robin.

"Why, Bird Boy, you don't look like you're having much fun! So serious… Just because you were trained by Batsy doesn't mean you have to act like him!"

The madman looked at the bloodstained knife in his hand with interest.

"Really, I'm quite enjoying myself. You, though, look so unhappy!"

The man pouted mockingly. A moment later, the boy on the ground was once again wincing as a deep cut was made on his arm. This lack of reaction made his captor scowl in frustration.

"Why won't you scream? Do you really think you're going to live through tonight? Scream, little birdy. You're big bad daddy Bats won't be able to save you this time."

Another slash was made at the Boy Wonder, this one at the leg. Robin still did not scream. This only caused more attacks at his small body. This went on for what seemed like hours before a cut across his chest made the young boy let out a small scream of pain.

His attacker suddenly stopped, and laughed loudly.

"Well, well, well. I _can_ get a reaction out of the Boy Blunder! I thought I would have to mess with your face, which I really didn't want to do. Bats need to be able to recognize his precious little bird's body, after all."

The Joker than kicked the injured boy's chest, making him call out in pain again. This only caused more psychotic laughter to echo through the building.

After a few minutes of just kicking the fallen bird, the Joker looked at his watch.

"My, my, it _is_ getting late. Bats will probably be here soon… Just need to do the finishing touches on his _present_."

Grabbing Robin's head, the madman smiled at the terrified boy.

"See ya, Bird Boy. It's been fun playing with you, but there is always a time when friends must say goodbye. This is that time."

A slash was made across Robin's throat.

The Joker quickly left the building after leaving a Joker card next to the Boy Wonder's body. When Batman made it to the warehouse, which had been the last on his long list of places to desperately search for his son, he found the small boy's lifeless body.

A horrified expression could then be found on the Dark Knight's face as he looked down on his beloved son's body, the bright and happy life it used to hold no longer there.

"No… Dick… It can't be…"

The hero grabbed his lifeless son, holding him close to his body.

"I'm so sorry…. I'm so sorry…"

At Mount Justice, the lost Boy Wonder's former team laughed at the movie they were now all watching. None of them knew about the fate of their youngest, and Kaldur's worries had disappeared as he watched the movie.

Not a thought of their missing member crossed their minds. He was the Boy Wonder. Surely he could protect himself.

Unfortunately, everyone falls eventually. Even the Boy Wonder. Robin just had all the farther to fall.

**If anyone likes this, I could continue it, but for now it is just a one-shot. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I decided to write another chapter. This is now a two-shot.**

**I still do not own Young Justice.**

"Do you really need all that bacon, Wally?"

The red-head speedster was once again driving Artemis insane the next morning. They had all ended up falling asleep on the couch after watching their fifth movie. When she woke up, she saw Wally with a piling plate of bacon in front of him. He was already eating the meat when she came over.

"Well, Arty, I need all the food I can get to keep me energized to run. So, yes, I need all this bacon, thank you very much."

With that, the boy continued eating his food.

Artemis rolled her eyes, annoyed. Sitting down next to Wally, she realized that Robin had never come the night before. She had been sure the Boy Wonder would come eventually and join Wally in annoying her, like usual.

The little troll never showed up, though. She remembered Wally saying that Robin had probably gotten caught up with work in Gotham, and she saw this as a reasonable reason. Living in the city, she knew that the Joker had broken out recently, so Robin and Batman could easily be too busy to see anyone in the league for awhile.

However, this theory was shattered when the zeta beams announced Batman's arrival. She waited a moment for the beams to announce Robin as well, thinking that the boy would be with his mentor.

Robin was not announced, oddly enough.

As the Dark Knight swept into the room, the rest of the team started to wake up. A moment later, they were all gathered, waiting for Batman to give them what they assumed was a mission.

What they first noticed was the depression that was obvious on the hero, even with his mask. It was obvious that something absolutely awful had happened.

Wally was pondering what this incident could have been while chewing on a piece of bacon. It was then that it hit him, making him stop eating instantly, and look up at the Dark Knight fearfully.

"Batman… Where is Robin?"

The rest of the team gasped in realization at Wally's words. Kaldur, now remembering his thoughts from the night before, stepped forward nervously.

"Yes, where is Robin? Why is he not here with you?"

The Dark Knight looked down slightly at the leader's words. After a moment, the elder hero raised his head and spoke in a steely voice.

"Robin is gone."

They all heard the words, but they all refused to believe it. Wally spoke again in desperate tones.

"By gone, you mean like he's on a trip, and he'll come back tomorrow and laugh at me because he hacked the security cameras from wherever he was and saw Artemis beat me up when she got back her arrows, right?"

The boy's voice sounded so pleading, so desperate, that the crushing words that came next seemed all the more real.

"No. He's gone. Last night, the Joker captured him, and when I found where the madman had been hiding him…"

Megan now looked particularly horrified.

"No…" She whispered, afraid for the boy she had come to see as a little brother.

The Dark Knight looked at the team seriously.

"When I found him, it was too late. That monster had already done his damage."

The teenagers were frozen, all except for Wally. The speedster, instead of standing still in horror, found yelling a much better way to express his despair.

"No… NO! You're the Batman! You could have saved him! You face the Joker all the time, why was this time different?"

The red head would have continued if he was not suddenly interrupted by the elder hero.

"Mr. West, you may have lost a best friend, but I lost my son. I tried as hard as I could. I know it was my fault. There is no reason for you to remind me of that."

As Batman started to sweep away, he turned slightly, giving one last message before his departure.

"You will receive the date for the funeral later. You are all expected to be present."

With that, the hero left, his long black cape billowing behind him.

The happy mood that filled the cave only minutes before had dispersed, leaving the team feeling cold and empty. They would have felt that way either way, though.

None of them could understand what would possibly take their youngest from them. He was small, but had been so strong. They had forgotten sometimes that he was merely human sometimes.

After a few minutes, the team shuffled back to the couches, and practically collapsed on top of them.

Kaldur was holding his head in his hands. Guilt was overcoming his being. He was the leader; it was his job to protect his team mates. Last night, he had noticed the little bird's absence. He could have done something, anything. Perhaps if the League had known that Robin was not there, they could have contacted Batman, and assisted him in the search.

Perhaps if Kaldur had done anything, Robin would still be there.

Conner was not much better off. The Boy of Steel had not even noticed that Robin was absent the night before, and if he had, he would have just written it off as the Boy Wonder being busy. Conner had only been alive for about half a year, he had never lost anyone important to him before. The loss of his little brother had caught him completely off guard. The boy had seemed so untouchable; no one would have ever considered the chance of losing him.

Conner certainly didn't. Regret about anytime he could have possibly hurt Robin filled him. Why had he ignored the younger boy when he tried to show him his latest hacking last week? He hadn't known that was to be one of the last times he would see Robin, but he still should have at least made an effort to interact with the boy more…

No one said anything when Conner yelled in frustration and hit the armrest next to him, making it fall to the floor. They were all too caught up in their own misery.

Megan was quietly weeping. The adorable, lovable young boy who could do such amazing feats was just… gone. Ever since the training simulation gone wrong, she had been terrified of the slight possibility of losing a member of the team. After a few weeks, she had been assured of the unlikelihood of a death that the fear had mostly dissolved. Now it brought back full force by the worst tragedy she had ever seen. She had never even learned the boy's name, and now she would never see him alive again.

A sob rattled her chest. This just could not be happening.

Artemis seemed to just be staring into space. Inside her mind, though, she was a wreck. She had seen what Robin could do. She just could not believe that he could be taken out, just like that. She knew he was just human, like her, but after the incident with the Reds, she had seen him as more powerful. That power, the strength that lay inside the young boy, was gone, along with the boy that held them.

The archer was hurting; she just didn't show it like the others. Artemis could not show how scared this made her.

This fear was deprived from one thought; if the _Boy Wonder_ couldn't survive the hero run, what chance did the rest of them have?

Wally was the worst off. He just sat there, completely unmoving. This was never seen from the boy before. As Kid Flash, Wally was always moving. The loss of the best friend he had ever had drove him to just sitting there, completely still. It was rather unnerving.

Inside, a battle was warring it out in his mind. He was a speedster; he could have run to check if Robin was indeed just caught up in business. He hadn't needed to just write it off as the boy being busy. He should have known Rob always calls if he's even a couple minutes late. It was because of his _stupid mistake_ that his best friend was gone forever.

That was what scared him most. He despised thought of his midget of a best friend just being… gone. He had hated it when Batman had used that word. Just imagining that word with Robin made him see the younger boy's laughing face just fading away into nothing.

He wasn't nothing, though. Robin was a bright, cheerful, little troll.

At least, he had been. Robin would never be around to hack another unfortunate victim (often times Wally himself) again.

Wally wished he was, though. No matter how much embarrassment would occur, he would do anything to get his best friend back.

The funeral was scheduled for the next week. That week passed slowly without the little bird around to laugh and butcher the English language. When the day finally came, the team dressed nicely and waited at the cave to be picked up by the league. Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Roy showed up shortly. They drove the team to the funeral home, but when they were about to pull into the parking lot, Roy turned to the team.

"You kids should know that this is not a funeral for Robin, but his secret identity. So, that means you guys were not friends of Robin, but Dick Grayson. Got it?"

The team gaped at him, except for Wally, who just nodded sadly.

Artemis looked particularly horrified at the news of who Robin in fact was.

"Robin was Dick Grayson? He went to my school…"

Roy nodded solemnly, and then stepped out of the parked car. The rest of the team followed suit. They entered the building, shocked to see a very large amount of people there. It appeared that the entire league had come, and many others that were not recognizable. Of course, these could be league members as well, for they were all in their secret identities, so completely unrecognizable. It was only the sheer amount of people who was there that gave the idea that the league was there.

They soon moved to the front of the room, where the coffin sat open. They slowly walked towards the coffin, Conner stepping up to it first.

Looking down at the small, lifeless body of the boy he knew as Robin, the Boy of Steel felt tears welling up in his eyes. He was not used to this, but ignored the sensation as he whispered a few words to the body.

"I'm so sorry …Dick."

Conner then quickly walked away to hide the liquid leaking for his eyes. Megan took his spot next to the coffin. She also started crying when she saw the usually bright, happy Robin lifeless. The Martian could only handle looking at the body for a few seconds before she ran off.

Kaldur followed up to the coffin, looking down on to the boy who had been lost. How had he been killed? Batman had never explained. Kaldur was actually rather glad about this. He completely blamed himself for the incident. He knew something was wrong, but did nothing. Looking down, he whispered his own words to the departed boy.

"This is all my fault… I'm so sorry."

The leader than walked off to sit in a chair off to the sidelines. Artemis hesitantly took his spot, studying the body. After a moment, she spoke softly.

"So... That is why I would laugh about that photo someday. Well played, Dick. Well played."

Taking a glance behind her at the final member of the team, she stalked off to sit down.

Wally could not get his feet to move towards the coffin. He had never had a problem with walking before, except for when he wanted to run. Now, knowing that his best friend lay in that symbol of death, he was frozen. He couldn't get himself to move towards the body. Robin was in there…. _Dick_ was in there.

It was then, when he was completely frozen, that Wally felt a hand fall on his shoulder and propel him toward the front. Looking behind him, Wally saw Roy was the one helping him to Dick.

When the two made it to the body, Wally was horrified looking at the body. Dick was supposed to be alive and be annoying him with his obnoxious statements that they both laughed at… Not dead and still.

Somehow, the speedster found his voice to speak to the older boy behind him.

"Roy… How could this happen to Dick? Why did he of all people have to die?"

"I don't know, Wally. I don't know."

Robin, the Boy Wonder, was dead. This was not an aster as the young hero would put it. This was a tragic, awful disaster. Heavy on the dis.

**There you go. I wrote another, much longer chapter. Enjoy.**

**Please review!**


	3. Healing Part 1

**You know how I said this was going to be a two-shot? Well, turns out I lied. I've been working on this for ages, but here it is! This is now a continuous story. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Oh... I don't own Young Justice. It would be really weird if I did, because I refused to watch it until a few mounths ago. I was convinced it would be a cheap Teen Titans rip-off... I still like the Titans a bit more, but I sure was wrong...**

Black Canary sat down, exhausted. The entirety of the night before had been used listening to Ollie go on about how she had to help the team deal with the death of their youngest member. Initially, she completely ignored her boyfriend. Though she had volunteered to help with the training accident, Dinah did not think even she could help with an actual, honest to goodness loss.

The archer was not known for giving up, however, and continued pestering her. After hearing the billionaire go on about how scarred the children were, how he, Barry, and Clark were going to deal with Bruce, and how he was about ready to force Roy to take official therapy (It wasn't like he couldn't afford it.), Ollie delivered the final blow.

"I really just thought… Well, Dick wouldn't want all his friends to be in such mourning."

It was through this conniving, cruel, but very true point that Dinah had managed to drag herself to Mount Justice to deal with the surely mentally-scarred teenagers. Now sitting, she waited for the seat across from her to be filled with one of the unfortunate teens.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, Artemis hesitantly came in. Nervously, the young archer lowered herself into the deep green chair. After a moment of silence, the girl spoke.

"He went to my school. Every day he tried to talk to me, but I always thought he was just some annoying rich kid. I never paid him any attention. It was so obvious, yet I didn't realize that Dick and Robin was the same person."

Dinah leaned forward slightly, motioning for Artemis to go on. This was more than the blonde girl would say ever before.

"At the funeral… There were some of his friends from school there. He didn't have many, but they saw me. The glares sent my way just asked me… why I was there. Why, when I ignored almost every word he ever said to me, was I there? I just looked at his body sadly… One of his best friends, Barbara Gordon, was absolutely weeping. Her dad had to pull her away from the coffin to calm down. The look she gave me… It was full of cold… hatred."

Artemis closed her eyes tightly before continuing on.

"I-I deserved that hatred. I didn't know him, not really. I didn't really know Robin, and I definitely did not know Dick. I didn't trust either at all. Even after the incident with the Reds, I still didn't trust him with any secrets."

Dinah truly could not believe how much Artemis was saying. She could never get the girl to open up before, even though she was obviously hurting. Why was it that such a tragedy had to happen to help the archer to open up?

"What do you think you would tell Robin if he was here, Artemis?"

The girl opened her eyes, though she looked away slightly.

"I would tell him everything. He was trustworthy enough, he would understand, and... It would have been nice to have… someone to talk to about… that."

Of course, as Ollie's girlfriend, she knew what Artemis was referring to.

"Maybe it isn't too late to have someone know… You could always tell the team."

The teenager stood quickly.

"No! They would never understand… No one would ever trust me again! Do you remember how everyone reacted when we found out Kaldur was keeping secrets? No one would want me on the team!"

Dinah sat back.

"Maybe you should think about it, Artemis. Perhaps they will be as understanding as Dick would have been."

Artemis started to sweep out of the room, her long ponytail trailing behind her. The door was slammed as she left, leaving a loud noise echoing throughout the room.

A moment later, the door slammed again as Superboy entered the room.

"All right, Conner. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Meanwhile, in Gotham City, three men embarked on a mission even harder than helping a team of teenagers heal through a friend's death.

They were going to attempt to help the father heal.

Thus, Clark Kent, Barry Allen, and Oliver Queen stood in the entrance hall of Wayne Manor, speaking in low voices with Alfred.

"Master Bruce is in young Master Richard's old room. I assume you know where that is?"

Clark nodded his head before speaking.

"Thanks, Alfred. We'll probably be quite awhile, so…"

"I'll be sure not to disturb you unless there is an emergency."

"Right. Thanks again."

The trio headed towards where they now knew their friend would be. When arriving at the room that used to belong to Dick, they saw the door was slightly open. What they saw inside was heartbreaking.

The room looked like nothing had been touched since the former occupant had left this life two weeks ago. Homework was still scattered across the desk in the back corner of the room, a few books were open on the soft red sheets of the bed, and there was even civilian clothes lying on the ground, doubtlessly from when he changed into his hero persona for the last time.

That, however, was not what was so tragic. What was truly heart wrenching was seeing Bruce standing next to the dresser, clutching a photo frame that help a picture of him and Dick together, and silently weeping. None of the three heroes had ever seen their friend so… broken.

Slowly, they stepped inside. The Dark Knight obviously knew they were there, he was Batman after all, but he made no move to acknowledge their entrance. Silently, Clark walked over to the broken man, placing a hand on his shoulder. Bruce turned his head towards the other hero slightly.

"Bruce, sit down, we have to talk."

Ollie started to move the books on the bed slightly to make room for Bruce. Though the other man's hand almost moved to stop him, the caped crusader sat down on the bed, still holding the photo tightly.

Clark breathed slowly, and then spoke to his friend.

"Bruce, we are worried for you. For the past two weeks, you've been more violent as Batman, and have not gone out in public as Bruce Wayne since the funeral. You're not yourself-"

The Man of Steel was suddenly interrupted by his broken friend.

"Clark, would you be yourself if your son died? That is, if you had a son. I forgot that you still refuse to even talk to the one you have."

Clark sputtered slightly upon hearing what his friend said.

"Bruce… Why are you bringing that up now? Superboy is beside the point!"

The Dark Knight shook his head slightly.

"No, he is a point. I envy you so much right now, Clark. You have a son, while mine is gone forever. However, you will not see how lucky you are. How is that beside the point?"

Since the Kryptonian was speechless, Ollie spoke to the fellow billionaire.

"Bruce, the Scarecrow came into Arkham with a broken arm, broken leg, and a concussion. He hadn't even taken out any fear gas before you started pummeling him."

The detective spoke quietly.

"He said that he was glad there was only a battle against one again. He mocked me about Dick…"

As Ollie was about to speak, the speedster next to him pushed towards their friend to speak.

"Bruce, almost every villain, even petty thieves, will mention Robin for quite awhile. You can't handicap every criminal you face."

Bruce continued to stare at the bright picture in his hands while he spoke.

"The Joker is still loose. Until he locked away where he belongs, I will not hold back. I owe that much to Dick."

The three heroes tried to reason with Bruce, but he ignored them, just staring at him and Dick smiling happily at the broken counterpart to the man.

Seeing there was no use for them there, the three heroes left the room. On their way out of the manor, they sadly shook their head at Alfred.

The Batman would not heal from the loss of his partner and son for quite awhile, if ever.

**The rest of the team, as well as possibly a couple other people, will be the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one, though!**

**Please review, it gives me ideas for chapters!**


	4. Healing Part 2

...** Well, I knew there would be a huge flood of Misplaced stories after that episode, so I wanted to update this story because... Well, it takes place before Misplaced, so before Zatanna joined... Mostly because I sort.. don't like her much.**

**Also.. Am I the only one who noticed the Riddler at the end of the epsiode? I swear, seeing him in costume may have actually have been my favorite part... It was a great episode, but I like the Riddler...**

**... Right. I ended up only being able to fit one member of the team in this chapter, mostly because I thougt of something for my non-team member of this chapter that made it so I did not have time to write more. Also... I like the ending.**

**There are some flashbacks in this chapter, which will be shown in large areas **_typed like this._

**If this is not obvious, I do not own Young Justice.**

As it turned out, Connor did not want to talk at all. When he entered the room, the young Kryptonian stormed to the plush green chair across from Dinah, collapsing angrily into it. He then continued on to be completely silent.

This, however, did not stop the older hero from her mission. She was going to at least try and help every one of these teenagers deal with the loss of their youngest, no matter how badly one needs anger management.

"Conner, I asked you a question."

The young hero scowled into space before answering rudely.

"I don't want to talk about anything."

Dinah narrowed her eyes in determination. The tragedy may have opened Artemis up more, but at the same time it seemed to have closed Superboy off completely.

The clone would be opened back up if she had anything to say about it, however.

"In light of recent events, I really doubt there is nothing you want to talk about."

The young Kryptonian tensed slightly, and his glare into space intensified tenfold.

"I definitely do not want to talk about… _that_."

Black Canary would still not give in, despite the initial refusal from her current charge.

"Alright, Conner. If you will not start a meaningful conversation, I will. Why do you not want to talk about this so badly?"

Conner's fierce glare, bad enough even to rival the Bat-glare, was suddenly directed straight at the blonde hero.

"Why do I not want to talk about it? A member of the team is dead… The youngest is not coming back… ROBIN IS GONE!"

The boy had suddenly stood at his last sentence, screaming his final three words at Black Canary.

He was slightly surprised when she did not even flinch, though his anger did not dim in the least.

"Conner, we've realized this. That is why I want, no, _need _to talk to you. The incident is obviously giving you unstable emotions, which is unhealthy. Sit back down, we are going to talk."

The elder hero had not lost her calm demeanor at all while talking, shocking Conner enough to sit back down, albeit with an angry huff.

"Now that we can actually begin, how about you start with telling me exactly what you are feeling?"

Though Superboy clearly wanted to strike out again, he could see Black Canary meant business. This was what caused him to hesitantly answer.

"I am just so... angry. It isn't until I will never see him again that I realize… I never really paid him any attention. I tended to just drown him and Wally out completely. Now… I can't hear what weird stories from Gotham he has to tell me, or listen to him rant about some hacking he did last week, or even his weird words that barely make any sense…"

As suddenly as he started, Conner stopped speaking. A moment later, he continued speaking, but his voice was much colder.

"The worst part is that the one who took him away is still loose. I want to… hurt that… _monster_ so badly… He hurt Robin! He killed Robin! Why can't we hurt him back?"

Dinah suddenly leaned towards Superboy, seeing the dangerous path the younger hero's thoughts were going.

"Conner, we do not kill people. Even true monsters like the Joker have a life, and it is not our place to take that away. I know you are hurting, we all are. Even through that, you can't go down to his level. Do you understand?"

Conner stood suddenly, heading towards the door.

"I don't understand, Black Canary. I don't see how the pure evil that keeps that so-called man alive is considered a life."

Seconds later, the room was once again empty. Dinah sat for a few moments before a sniffling Megan entered.

Two down, three more to go. It was going to be a very long day.

Far from Mount Justice, in an apartment in Star City, Roy Harper was going into depression.

Sitting alone on his couch, the red head was going through a huge box full of pictures. With each photo, tears started to well in his blue eyes.

Staring at the photo of Wally, Dick, and him at a carnival, the memory of that day came back to him.

_"Roy! Hurry up; the lines aren't getting any shorter!"_

_The archer rolled his eyes at Wally's impatient nature. Dick, who had previously been in between his two friends, suddenly ran back to Roy's side._

_"Shut up Wally, not everyone is speedsters. Roy can go as slowly as he wants."_

_Wally glanced ahead, groaning._

_"But Diiiicccckkkk….. There's cotton candy!"_

_The younger boy rolled his ice blue eyes._

_"More sugar that will make you even more hyper? This is guaranteed to end very, very badly…"_

_The speedster stuck his tongue out at Dick._

_"Yeah, like you are so much better when on sugar."_

_This point caused Roy to laugh slightly. Dick's head turned a light glare on his features._

_"What is so funny about that, Roy?"_

_"Just that he has a point. Last time we gave you sugar, you were doing back flips on rafters. I swear I thought Bruce was going to kill us…."_

_The Boy Wonder laughed loudly._

_"Bruce would never kill you… Maim, or injure greatly, however…"_

_They all laughed, until Wally interrupted._

_"Wait… You're joking, right?"_

In the present, tears were rolling down Roy's face. That day seemed so far away…

Putting that picture aside, the archer grabbed the next photo from the box his hand reached.

Staring at a new memory head on, this one of when Dick had tried to teach him how to hack Ollie's computer, the day's events rushed into his scarred mind.

_"Roy… I think you are hopeless."_

_The older boy scowled at his friend._

_"What am I doing wrong? I did everything you told me to-"_

_He was suddenly interrupted by the dark-haired ten-year-old._

_"Except you forgot to cover your tracks. Ollie will be in here to ask why you were hacking his computer in five… four… three… two…"_

_Suddenly, the door to Roy's bedroom was opened by none other than Ollie._

_"Roy... I know you are a teenager, and feel you have rights... But why did you hack my computer?"_

_Dick suddenly stood up, giving that sickingly sweet smile that made any adult melt, but disgusted anyone near the boy's own age._

_"Uncle Ollie, I just wanted to show Roy one of my talents. I thought you wouldn't mind if I used your computer for the example, because you are so nice…"_

_The elder archer could not resist the cuteness that was Dick. He left with only a warning that Dick should ask next time before using his stuff for examples._

_When the two were alone, Roy turned to glare at his younger friend._

_"How is it that if I did that alone, I would be grounded for months, but you manage to get him to leave with just an 'ask next time'?"_

_Dick winked at the archer._

_"No adult can resist me, Roy. It is time you learned that. It is a gift."_

By this point, Roy was almost weeping.

Going through the box, he remembered days with Dick, ranging from fighting crime together to just playing video games. With each new memory, his cries became more miserable.

Suddenly, he grabbed the box. The visions of happy times were becoming by far too much for the scarred archer. The box flew through the air, hitting the mirror on the other side of the room, shattering the glass.

Through all this, Roy's weeping continued. No notice was made to his destroyed mirror, or the pictures of smiling Dick carpeting the floor. All control of his body was lost.

Roy didn't notice the voice yelling his name outside the door to the apartment. The young adult paid no mind when the door was forcefully opened, none other than Oliver Queen spilling into the room.

When he saw the boy he raised, his _son_ in such a state, the elder archer ran to Roy's side.

"Roy... You need help."

The red head looked up at Ollie, his tear-stained face staring at Ollie.

"You-you can't make me come with you..."

Ollie sighed, exasperated.

"Roy, it is not safe for you to be with just yourself right now. Look at the state of this room."

Roy at first seemed confused on what the older hero meant, and then the truth soaked into him.

"Did… Did I do this?"

Ollie nodded his head. While Roy looked around, horrified, he helped the young adult up.

"Roy... You have to come back to the manor."

For once, Roy did not argue.

As the two archers left the apartment, photos of the lost boy still covered the ground, his laughing face being visible anywhere you looked.

**Poor Roy...**

**Megan and another guest next chapter! Possibly Kaldur as well. As for the guest.. I'm still debating which one will show up next. **

**Please review!**


	5. Hurting

**This took me ages to write... And I don't even like it that much.**

**However, I worked hard on this, so I hope you all enjoy it!**

**I do not own Young Justice. At all.**

Megan sat across from Black Canary, sniffling quietly. The teenage alien had been in said position for a good ten minutes now, but Dinah was not sure how to start a session with the girl. She could be so emotionally unstable, anything the elder hero would say could possibly set her off into hysterics.

After around five more minutes, Megan suddenly spoke. Her voice was heavy with sadness, and she spoke rather quietly, as if trying to control her emotions.

"He.. he was so young. A little boy, so full of life... Why did he have to go? He... he was just a little boy..."

The Martian started to weep silently, while Dinah just sat there. She had no answer for the younger hero. Her question was one that almost everyone had been asking for the past few weeks.

Megan's head suddenly snapped up, her face stained with tears that had been running down it nearly nonstop for two weeks, staining the pale green skin.

"Why would the Joker kill him? Why couldn't he see the light Robin just.. radiated? Why did he want to hurt him?"

Dinah did have an answer to these questions, however.

"That monster did see how amazing Dick was. He did not want the world to have any hope, which was exactly what Dick was. Hope for the planet, that a bright young hero would someday take the place of the elder heroes. That such a talented boy would protect them. The hope Robin represented was one of the reasons why he targeted Robin so much. Another major reason is because he wanted to hurt Batman. Causing pain to an innocent child was just a perk to that disgusting being. Robin was the bright side of the Dark Knight, the only true joy he had. The Joker wanted to extinguish the only light in Batman's life."

This concept seemed to horrify the young Martian, her eyes opened wide.

"You mean... The Joker hurt so many by killing Robin, just so he could hurt one man? He didn't even care about any other lives he affected? He didn't even realize that maybe someday the world would desperately need Robin to protect it? "

"The Joker finds others hurt as small added bonuses. He cares for no one but himself."

This perspective caused Megan to completely break down again.

For around twenty minutes, they just sat there like that, with Black Canary looking at the weeping girl with a mixture of sympathy, hurt, and pity. There was nothing to be said, just pure grief to be felt. The room radiated sadness, so much that even the speedster and leader waiting outside for their turns shivered with the pain that Megan was accidentally passing on to others.

Of course, they felt pain as well, but having Megan's added on was not helping in the least.

Megan soon left the room, leaving the door open for Kaldur to enter.

The Alantian took a deep breath to try and control his warring emotions before entering the room.

As soon as he sat down, Kaldur spoke with a heavy heart.

"I was his leader. It was my responsibility to find out why he was not there that night..."

Dinah immediately knew where this was going.

"Kaldur, do not blame yourself for this tragedy. It is not. Your. Fault."

The boy looked at her painfully.

"But- If I had checked in on him, just to make sure it was nothing, perhaps I could have done something-"

"No, Kaldur. Gotham is on the other side of the country, and Batman did not even know where Robin was yet. You could not have helped him."

Just looking at the young hero's face, Dinah could tell Kaldur did not believe her.

Soon, the leader left, leaving Black Canary with the greatest challenge yet.

Wally reluctantly stepped into the room. His face looked almost completely blank. Green eyes that were usually filled with laughter were just empty.

After sitting down, the boy looked up at her, his eyes having changed.

They were now overflowing with pure, unadulterated pain.

"Why did he have to go away?"

Wally's voice was rough from not being used. How long had it been since the boy had last spoken? For the last two weeks, he had said barely more than three words a day. What had happened to the chatterbox that usually kept the cave filled with sound?

Looking at the shell of a boy again, Dinah realized she already knew the answer to that question. The bright, cheerful Wally she had come to know had died with Dick Grayson.

Not if Black Canary had anything to say in this, he didn't. She was going to help this boy if it was the last thing she ever did!

"Life is full of goodbyes, Wally. This is just one of many. While I don't know why it had to be someone so young that had to leave, but you have to let him go eventually. Dick would not want you to stop being yourself because he isn't here anymore."

Tears started to run down Wally's face.

"But- How can I just pretend nothing happened? Dick was my best friend... Things just cannot go back to how they were before... They can never go back..."

Dinah put her hand on the boy's knee.

"You have to let go eventually, Wally. It's what Dick would want."

Wally looked down slightly, the tears now falling onto his blue jeans, turning the color to a navy blue.

"I-I'll try. It will take time..."

A small, sad smile played at Dinah's lips.

"That is only to be expected, Wally. Things will get better, though. It is always darkest before the dawn."

For a girl living in Gotham City, though, life was at its darkest.

Barbara Gordan was sitting on her bed, back against the wall, looking at the newspaper from two weeks before. Tears flowed openly down her face from once bright blue eyes, now dulled with misery. Strands of the girl's red hair stuck to her cheeks due to the residue from the salty tears, but Barbara could not pay any attention to that.

The only thing she could see was the headline of the old article. She knew that by now, it should not come as a shock to her. Yet, the girl's heart broke each time she read those awful words.

**Billionaire's Ward Found Dead**

Underneath that hideous phrase was a picture of her best friend in the whole world. When Barbara had first seen the newspaper on that fateful day, her heart had almost stopped completely.

Even now, she could not believe it. Dick could not be dead. He couldn't be gone. Somewhere, those bright, beautiful blue eyes had to sparkling with mischief. This just had to be some sort of sick, cruel, twisted joke...

When she had been standing next to his body, though, Barbara realized that this was really happening. Dick was really, truly, tragically... _gone._

That was just too much for her to think about again. A sob rattled through her whole being, and little teardrops fell onto the paper bellow.

Dick was gone. Her best friend, who she cared so much for, was gone completely.

Now, she would never see him again. She would never feel his soft raven hair against her hand as her lips crashed into his, the two combined as one being...

It was then that a full realization shook her. She, Barbara Gordan, was in love with Dick Grayson.

This only caused more sobs to escape, for now there was no way that he would ever know exactly how much she cared for him.

It was too late.

Placing her head in her hands, Barbara weeped fully, tears soaking the old article, blurring the photo of a bright, happy teenager that was lost to the world.

**Okay, for the part with Babs at the end... I realized a death fic should always have a romance. Most people used KF for Robin death fics. However, I do not like slash. Most other peopl****e would use Zatanna. I don't like her very much for some reason I don't even fully know. So, I used the one romance that would work for this show that I can even tolerate.**

**Dick/Babs.**

**Now, while the only romance I actually ship with Dick is Dick/Kory (Starfire), I can handle this romance, and it makes a lot more sense for this story. So, there you go. Please do not judge for the romance, to be honest I only did it because this story could use a little romance.**

**Please re****view!**


	6. Night Horrors

**This chapter was written pretty quickly, explaining why it is so short. It has fit what I wanted, though. So everything is good.**

**I do not own Young Justice, or any DC characters that may or may not be mentioned in this chapter.**

One month. It had been a whole month since the lose of one of the youngest heroes ever. Thirty-one days, however, would not be enough to cover the pain that the ones close to Dick Grayson felt.

Bruce Wayne still had trouble going to business meetings, and avoided charity events as much as possible. As Batman, he continued being far more violent then he had with Robin besides him. The Joker had been returned to Arkham, but had escaped only days later. The clown had continued to mock him about the lose of his son, almost pushing the Dark Knight to the edge.

Kaldur already almost stepped down as leader five times. Each instance, however, he realized that there was no one ready to lead yet. Wally was too impulsive, Artemis somehow seemed haunted by something with almost every mission, Conner was still having trouble controlling his anger, and Megan was too quite. The only person other than himself who had ever been fit to lead was Robin. Since that was obviously no longer an option, Kaldur stayed leader, despite still believing himself inadequate as such.

School had become near torture for Artemis. Almost everyday there was new rumors about Dick's death, and she just could not take them. Almost everyday, she swore if she heard some idea that the boy had committed suicide, or was in a plane accident, or some other dumb theory, she would snap. This was only made worse by the familiar laughter she swore that she heard in the hallways everyday. However, the glares sent at her by Barbara Gordan was pure torture. The red head had not forgotten she was at the funeral, and the accusing looks sent at her just asked the same haunting questions as before.

Conner had just gotten angrier. The clone was near convinced that nothing good could truly exist in a world that took away such a pure and kind young boy. While he knew some light still shone, he had quite a bit of trouble finding it. All villains they fought felt the need to remind them they were missing the youngest among them. The team wouldn't even have had so many missions if crime hadn't been going on an all time high. Due to the constant mocking, Superboy often had to be stopped by someone, namely Megan, from completely pummeling the criminals.

The Martian herself had become immensely quite. The new view on the planet she had loved so much brought by the death of her young friend had honestly scared her. This fear caused her to reside within herself more often, and become slightly less trusting. Megan even had trouble talking to those close to her, such as Conner and her uncle. She was frightened of the world she had held so dearly.

Wally had been trying to be himself again. However, every attempt ending abruptly when he forgot and turned to tell Dick some dumb joke, only to see the space where his best friend should have been completely void. He stopped trying when his mind started supplying an image of Dick where he should have been, always smiling just a little too brightly. Healing in one way was not worth insanity, so Wally knew he wasn't ready yet.

Every being that had been close to the dead boy now could not heal completely. During the day, they could at least semi-handle that. It was at night that the true horrors started.

For Bruce, it had been happening since he actually started being able to sleep at all, three weeks after Dick's death. They had just been flashes of his son's bleeding, broken body at first, but had recently evolved into more detailed visions of what the Boy Wonder's final moments may have been like.

However, as Gotham's defender hesitantly slipped in sleep while sitting in front of the Bat computer, a completely new dream occurred.

_ A slight breeze blew past Bruce, alerting him of another's presence._

_ "You need to practice that."_

_ The young man who the Bat was speaking rolled his eyes underneath a domino mask. A small smile gracing his features, the younger hero took a step towards his old mentor._

_ "Quite night. Any reason you're out alone?"_

_ Bruce still did not look up as he spoke._

_ "Robin still has a fever."_

_ A small laugh came from the young man, finally causing Bruce to look over at him. The man, barely past boyhood, was a good foot shorter than Bruce. He wore a completely black costume, except for a bright blue bird that stood out strikingly on his chest._

_ "I hope he gets better soon. Did he stay up all night on his computer again?"_

_ It was now Bruce's turn to roll his eyes._

_ "Yes. Twice. I had to take away his laptop. Remind me, why did you teach him to hack?"_

_ The younger hero shrugged._

_ "I never ended up teaching Jay, and he really wanted to know..."_

_ Though the word 'Jay' gave Bruce a familiar twang of pain, he did not know why. _

_ "He guilt tripped you into teaching him? You need to stop letting that boy control you so much.."_

_ The young man snorted._

_ "I will when you do. Speaking of which, I also taught him how to convince you of anything, but he kept looking at me like I'm crazy. He doubts the power of puppy dog eyes..."_

_ Just as Bruce was about to answer with some snide remark, a yell was heard from below._

_ "Looks like there's trouble."_

_ A huge grin spreading across the younger hero's face, he did a quick back flip and jumped off the roof and towards the alley below. Once again rolling his eyes, Batman followed._

_ By the time Bruce had caught up with his companion, all the thugs who had been attacking a young woman were knocked out._

_ "Sorry I didn't leave any for you, Bats. This pretty lady was in trouble, and-"_

_ The hero suddenly fell forward mid-sentence, blood oozing from a bullet wound in his back. The woman he had just saved had a smoking gun pointed just where the man had been standing._

_ Bruce lurched forward to hold his companion, tears nearly streaming from his eyes._

_ "Nightwing!"_

In real life, Bruce awoke suddenly, breathing heavily, a cold sweat coating his face. His heart rate was sky rocketing, and his dark blue eyes were wide.

Though he wasn't quite sure who this "Nightwing" that had been bleeding his arms had been, but that dream had left him in emotional disarray. Almost as if his subconscious knew something he didn't.

Thinking back on the dream, realization hit him like the bullet from the nightmare. This "Nightwing" talked to him as if he knew him very well, apparently had high hacking skills, did a perfect back flip without a sign of pain, and was obviously a hero...

Somehow, Bruce had a dream about what could have been. If the Joker hadn't taken his son away from him in cold blood. Nightwing was his son. Nightwing was... Dick.

There were many other questions he could be wondering about his dream, such as who this new Robin was, and why the word "Jay" made him feel the same pain he felt whenever he thought of Dick, but the Dark Knight's mind could not focus on any of that now. The only thing that could even cross his mind was the blood that had been leaking from his son's body, so much like the blood he had found dried on the body of the much younger version of the same boy, dried against pale skin...

Bruce's head feel into his hands, sobs rattling his usually firm body. His son was truly gone. Dick was never going to come back, no matter how much he dreamed about it.

There will never be a bright young hero with a blue bird on his chest parading around the world. Nothing even resembling that possible future would ever occur.

More sobs escaped from Bruce. He'd never get to see his son grow up. He was just so young, still figuring out who he was supposed to be...

As the Dark Knight wept, Alfred stood solemnly behind him, a sad look in his eyes as well.

What remained of the broken Wayne family mourned for their lost son, for what seemed like the hundredth time. The hurt never seemed to go away, though.

The hurt would never go away...

**Did Bruce have a dream about what 'could have been'? Yeesss...**

**We are actually nearing the end of this story. There** **are only** **a few chapters left until this is done.**

**If you read this, please review. If you favorite it, please review. I actually really want to see what people think of this story, instead of just seeing that someone favorited it without even saying they liked it.**

**The little button is right there. Click it!**


	7. Talking

**I do not own Young Justice or any Batman character mentioned. DC does.**

Laughter rang through the halls of Arkham Asylum. From her cell, Poison Ivy rolled her eyes and continued to care for the small house plant she was allowed. Two Face did his best to ignore the clown passing his cell and continued flipping his coin. Similar reactions came from almost every inmate that was passed to the psychopath's own cell.

The one different, but completely expected, response to the Joker's entrance came from, who would have guessed it, Harley Quinn.

"Mr J! Mr. J! You're back!"

The enthusiastic blond was jumping up and down in excitement, her pigtails bouncing because of the motion. Her hand was quickly waving at the clown, a huge grin on her childish face.

This only caused the psycho to grin as well.

"Harley! It is good to be home!"

The guard escorting the Joker felt his right eye twitch slightly. This job was going to drive him insane one of these days...

That night, one could find all the Gotham rouges in the beaten up rec room of Arkham Asylum. As usual, Harley was sitting right next to the Joker, a huge smile on her face.

"What did you do while you were out, Puddin'?"

Poison Ivy, despite herself, was also a bit interested in what the clown had been up to, so she sat down next to her energetic friend as the Joker dove into his story.

"Well, I messed around a bit with Batsy's mind. It is just so _easy _since I killed his little birdy."

Two-Face, who had been glaring into space nearby, turned towards his fellow villain with interest.

"How did you manage that? When we tried to kill the brat, Bats managed to save him. We were so sure the kid was dead, too..."

The Joker rolled his eyes.

"Well, you did have the Bat watching you hitting his kid. He was right there, it was simple for him to break out and save his bird. I, on the other hand, only gave him a tensy little hint of where I was. By the time Bats found the location, his brat was dead and I was long gone."

The maniac cackled wickedly.

Ivy responded in a fierce glare.

"You managed to make Batman freakishly violent, clown. He's more angry than ever, as you should know."

This statement was intensified by the villainess pointing to the cast covering the Joker's left leg.

However, the Clown Prince of Crime did not look phased by this at all, instead smiling even larger.

"Oh, but Ivy, with anger comes _mistakes_. With Batsy so distracted with grief over his bird's death, he's bound to make some sort of error that could give _us_ an advantage over him."

Harley grabbed the Joker's arm suddenly, as happy as ever.

"See, Ivy, Mr. J is really smart. Now we're sure to beat Batsy!"

Though he stiffened in annoyance when Harley had originally made contact with him, the clown quickly regained his composure and smiled at the girl clutching him.

"Plus, you'd be surprised how funny it is to see the sadness on his face turning suddenly to complete rage when you even slightly mention his little Robin. Right, Scarecrow?"

The man in question, still severely injured from when he had mentioned the lost partner to Batman, scowled at the Joker.

"Heh, maybe he didn't think it was funny. I found it _hilarious,_ though. You should try it out."

Though Ivy had rolled her eyes again, she did file the idea under possibilities for when she got back out.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the very man the rouges were talking about stared at a stone embedded in the cold ground. The gravestone read as the following;

RICHARD JOHN GRAYSON

1998-2012

BELOVED SON AND FRIEND

Staring at the words that he knew was there only made it worse for Bruce. However, he did not move. His dark blue eyes nearly bore holes into the stone.

It also did not help his composure that the graves of his parents lay right next to that of his son. Behind all three graves stood a tall, graceful statue of a beautiful angel reaching up to heaven.

Trying to hold his emotions in, the hero lay down a delicate white rose on Dick's grave. After standing for a moment, an idea hit Bruce, nearly forcing him to sit down.

"Hello, Dick." he nearly whispered, his usually deep voice cracking from the flood of emotions he was holding back. "You've been gone for quite awhile now. A whole month... Alfred and I have missed you. You used to brighten up the manor with your smiles and laughter... It is so much darker without you. The team misses you also. Your friend Wally has been fighting so much harder recently. I think he's trying to honor you. Oliver finally got Roy into some therapy. He's really broken up about you leaving..."

The Dark Knight, usually so calm and composed, took a deep breath, only to come out as a rattling sob.

"Dick, you will always be my son. You may not be with me anymore, but I will always love you. I.. I miss you more than I thought possible. I'm your father, I was supposed to protect you... I let that monster near you, and he took you away from me, from Wally, from Roy, from this whole damn world that is just so darker without you..."

More sobs could be heard from Bruce.

"I hope that you're happier up there. Could you give my greetings to your parents? Tell them that you were the best son I could ever hope for..."

Shaking, Bruce stood, and starting walking to where Alfred waited with the car.

Ten minutes later, a young red head stood exactly where Bruce had spoken to his lost son. Tears openly fell from her face.

Bending down near the grave of her best friend, Barbara Gordan wept for what seemed like the millionth time that month.

"Dick, I don't know if you can hear me, but I love you. I love you more than you could ever know. Not as a friend, either. I honestly love you, but now you're gone, and I just can't move on. Why did you have to leave? Why did you have to go away? I- I miss you! School is horrible without you! Everyone there keeps making up random rumors about how you died, and I just can't take it!"

Large tears fell onto the white rose already placed on the ground.

"Life is horrible without you. You could make any day brighter, Dick, with just one smile. I loved your smile. It just always held so much joy. I- I loved everything about you. Your laugh, your hair, your weird words that made no sense. They all just filled me up with joy. I feel so empty now. Why can't you come back?"

Barbara nearly choked on her tears.

"Why can't you come back?"

That night, Bruce Wayne mourned the lose of his son. Barbara Gordan weeped over a lost love.

The Gotham rouges could only imagine different ways to use this tragedy against the broken father, to twist his emotions to their desires, to hurt him even more.

However, that night, far above where the living roamed, a small, raven-haired boy smiled at those he cared about.

"I'll say hi to my parents for you, Bruce. And Babs... I love you too."

**...**

**Yes, that was Dick talking at the end. HE SPEAKS IN SOMETHING THAT ISN'T A DREAM OR FLASHBACK!  
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**Heh..**

**I referenced an event from the Robin: Year One graphic novel in this... And, for the first time writing this story, nearly cried while writing.  
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**I'M SORRY FOR BEING SO MEAN TO YOU, BRUCE!  
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**Please review! They give me inspiration to write!  
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	8. DisASTERous Mission and More Talking

**I do not own Young Justice.**

One would imagine that after six months, the Young Justice team would move past their loss and go forth to prosper.

That is, if one was completely heartless.

Though the team was hurting, and it was unsure if the hurt would ever go away, they all were starting to be their normal selves again. While it is true that sadness could be seen in their eyes if one looked past the smiles and laughter, they were getting better.

Each one did their best to honor the fallen hero. They remembered what he valued, what he had hated, and what he had always told them. They took these messages to heart, and tried to apply them to their lives.

Kaldur started to stop doubting himself as often. Robin had thought him a good leader, despite his own beliefs. Using the boy's trust as encouragement, the Alantian began to be more confident in his decisions. While he still second-guessed a few choices that ended in injury, he started to trust himself. If Robin would not be there to take the place as the team's true leader eventually, Kaldur would have to be the best leader he could be. The team needed someone strong to lead, and he would have to be that person.

Conner started to control his anger. While he would still occasionally feel pure fury at some of the villains they faced, he did his best to keep the embers of hatred as such. The clone knew that Robin would be proud that he was working so hard to stay 'traught'. Soon he realized it made him feel much better also.

However, he could not stop the anger when a criminal even mentioned the lost bird. Wally even usually managed to not pound the scums, but Conner just couldn't. He wasn't that good yet.

Megan became completely honest with Conner. As she showed her true form to her beloved, she expected complete rejection. That had been her fear all along, which was why she had hid it from anyone. The only reason she was showing Conner was to honor their lost team mate.

When her "normal" form had melted away to reveal what she truly was, Megan listened to hear the cry of disgust she was convinced would come from the boy she loved so dearly, her head bowed. When she didn't hear anything, she lifted her eyes to see Conner was smiling at her.

"I'm happy you are ready to tell me this. It doesn't change anything."

Full of glee, Megan turned back into the form the team was used to in order to hug her boyfriend. Tears of joy began to run down her cheeks.

These were the first tears in nearly half a year that was not for the fallen hero, yet she was sure he would be glad to see them.

Wally decided to do something Dick had badgered him endlessly to do. At first he had ignored the boy, saying the suggestion was both ridiculous and inaccurate. However, Dick was never one to give up easily, and had continued to nag the speedster to preform this action. In the boy's life, Wally had never gotten the guts to do this. Now that his best friend was gone, he would finally be brave in remembrance of Dick.

Wally had finally told Artemis how he felt about her.

The first expression he saw on her face was disbelief. The red head almost apologized for wasting her time then, convinced she would starting laughing in his face.

However, the archer's face soon broke into a huge smile. This was quickly followed by her lips crashing into his, a deep kiss melding the two together.

Wally could almost hear Dick whooping in success, and bragging later about how right he had been. However, these thoughts soon left with the pure emotion that radiated off of Artemis, making their kiss even more passionate.

Dick would have been very, very happy.

Artemis had a very hard time following through with her own improvement. She had worked so hard to keep this under the covers from the team, and to just tell them may make her loose everything she had worked so hard for; friends, love, and a true family...

When she finally was ready to tell them, she imagined the boy wonder in her head cheering her on. As the archer gathered the team, her heart rate accelerated in slight fear. After closing her eyes, the truth poured from her lips and washed over the team.

She was certain her heritage would make the whole team hate her. When she saw the shocked faces upon opening her eyes, she was only more sure of this.

That is, until Wally stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

The teenagers were indeed healing, albeit slowly. However, something was about to happen that would rip the bandage off the still fresh wound of their friend's death, causing pain almost as bad when the injury was first forged.

It was supposed to be a normal mission. There was a break-in at the the museum in Bludhaven, and the item stolen was rather valuable. Since it was so close to Gotham, and the town had no hero of its own, Batman would usually have investigated himself. However, there had been yet another Arkham breakout, and he had his hands full recapturing the escaped psychos. Also, the team had not had a mission in nearly a month; they were frankly getting bored. So the teens were sent to check out the museum to see if there was anything suspicious going on about.

They were expecting a quick in and out; seeing as the town was nearly as crime-ridden as Gotham, if not more, it was unlikely anything particularly unusual was going on.

However, when they got there, a crash could be heard from around a corner near the team. Nodding quietly to each member, Kaldur lead the teen heroes around the corner.

Only for them to be stunned by what was on the other side.

Upon seeing the two beings who had broken in, every member felt their breath hitch. Eyes could be seen widening in horror, and their heartbeats nearly stopped.

Standing before them was the Joker, with Harley Quinn gripping his arm. When they saw the teens , the villainous couple stepped forward slightly.

"Well Harley, what do we have here? Some little kiddies too far away from home?"

The female clown nodded happily.

"Yep, Mr J!"

Though the rest of his teammates could not move, and not even Superboy thrashed out, anger boiled inside Kid Flash. Standing in front of him was the man who had murdered his best friend, his _brother_. However, the speedster was still slightly controlling the hatred inside him.

"I would think the brats would know better than to even come near Gotham after what happened to Bird Boy. I taught that kiddy a lesson all right."

As the maniac burst into insane laughter, Wally ignored his sanity trying to stop him. The monster that had taken Dick, then dared to even speak about him? Before he knew it, his legs were forcing him forward-

Only for a hand to suddenly be on his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Looking to his left, he saw Artemis was looking at him worriedly, her hand keeping him in place. The hand may have barely been touching him, but the emotion coming from the gesture calmed him slightly.

Unfortunately, the Joker had still noticed the original movement, and laughed again cruelly.

"Did I make you sad, Baby Flash? Do you miss your little friend?"

After taking something out of his pocket, the clown's wrist flicked to reveal the object to be a knife, making the stillness of the team even more tense. The maniac moved towards Kid Flash, a tight, wicked grin plastered on his face.

Once near the speedster, he raised the knife to the teen's face, gently tracing the boy's cheekbone.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, kid, but the Birdy isn't coming back."

Moving the hand holding the knife sharply, the clown made a slight knick on Kid Flash's face. Seeming to be satisfied by the small stream of blood now going down the teenager's face, the Joker walked back to where Harley stood waiting.

The team had no idea what to do. Facing the Joker was dangerous, and could result in great injury, even possibly...

All ignoring what else could possibly occur, they had no idea what to do next.

"What are you brats doing here, anyway?"

Kaldur, acting as the leader he was, stepped forward slightly before answering the maniac.

"There was a robbery here, and we were sent to investigate the crime scene."

A single eyebrow rose on the Joker's face.

"You mean those diamond earrings I got for Harley? Isn't a guy allowed to get a gift for his girlfriend around here?"

The knife was still in the clown's gloved hand, drawing Kaldur's eyes and causing him to swallow slightly. The Alantian could feel the team's eyes on his back, but he just did not know what to do...

It was then that the glass roof broke into thousands of pieces as a caped figure crashed through. As the teens shielded themselves from the onslaught of glass, they heard the entity thud onto the floor. Upon being able to see, the team saw the form of Batman standing in-between them and the clowns.

"Stay away from them, Joker."

The villain's grin grew even larger upon seeing his usual enemy.

"Batsy! What's wrong? Are you afraid of failing even more children?"

The five teenagers that were now nearly huddled together saw the hatred leaking from the furious glare sent from the stoic Dark Knight towards the Clown Prince of Crime.

"You two are going back to Arkham where you belong."

The Joker went in a sudden mood swing, his grin vanishing and his eyes narrowing.

"I don't think so."

The psychopath rushed forward the hero, knife in hand. However, as soon as he even neared Batman, the hero's gloved fist soon knocked him out.

The team watched the now-unconscious form of the Joker hit the ground. Harley Quinn, who was standing off slightly, rushed towards the fallen villain.

"Mr. J! You big mean bat, you hurt him!"

As police sirens could be heard outside the building, handcuffs were suddenly secured over the woman's wrist.

"That was slightly the point."

Turning away from the criminals, Batman faced the team.

"I did not know it was him that was the culprit. If I had, you would not have been on this mission."

The Dark Knight turned to talk to the police officers, but not before speaking a few more words to the team.

"Go back to the cave. Kid Flash, I'll need to talk to you there."

The team returned to the cave, and once there they scattered. All except for Wally, who waited for Batman to return, nervously pacing while doing so.

As soon as the zeta beams announced the arrival of the Dark Knight, the speedster stopped his movement, standing straight in anticipation of what the elder hero had to say to him.

Upon approaching Wally, a sigh escaped Batman's lips.

"I know you were close to Dick... This must have been a hard mission."

Of all the things Kid Flash expected, this was not one of them.

"If I had known the Joker was even in Bludhaven, I wouldn't have sent the team there. I was thinking... Have you visited his grave since the funeral?"

Though mentions of his friend being dead made his breathing shallow, he still managed to shake his head no.

"Your uncle asked me to take you to it sometime soon, since it is a bit hard for you to go to Gotham. Due to the mission, I was thinking now would be a good time."

A mere fifteen minutes later, Wally stood in front of where his best friend lay buried under feet of cold soil, his body completely still...

The speedster swallowed, pushing back the tears threatening to spill from his green eyes.

Batman-Bruce- was waiting inside the car. The man had said to take as long as he wanted. Sitting down next to the grave, he decided to do just that.

Suddenly remembering Bruce saying it helped to talk right before he lift the car, the speedster took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hey Dick... Sorry I haven't come to see you yet... Its been busy. There's been missions, and school, and other stuff..."

Tears slowly dripped down Wally's face as he spoke, leaving a trail.

"Its been kind of boring without you. No one gets my jokes like you... Kaldur always says to be more serious, Conner looks at me like I'm crazy, and Megan just laughs awkwardly. Artemis smirks at them, but I think she finds them funny... Turns out you were right, she likes me also. We've been dating for a few weeks now... Its really been great. I should have listened to you earlier..."

The tears started to stream quicker, and a hand rose to desperately wipe them away.

"I-I miss you a lot, Dick. You're my best friend... You'll always be my best friend. Kaldur and Conner and Roy are great, but none of them even compares to you. To know you're gone, and are never coming back... It is almost too much to handle."

A deep breath was taken to get his raging emotions under control.

"I know you would want me to move on, and be happy... Its just really, really hard... I'm working on it, though. I hope its better wherever you are. I usually wouldn't even consider heaven existing, but I really hope it does right now, because you deserve it. I guess you're with your parents now, wherever you are... I bet they're telling you how proud they are of you... They really should be proud.."

Wally stood, and backed away from the gravestone.

"Bye, Dick. I'll be back, sooner next time. I promise."

The speedster than walked, surprisingly slowly, back to the limo where Bruce was waiting.

Dick Grayson may be gone, but he would never be forgotten. His friends and family would make sure of that.

**This story is not quite done yet! Still a couple chapters left, though I will admit they are for the sole purpose of setting up for the sequel.**

**Until next time... (Which should be soon!)  
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**Please review!  
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	9. Discoveries

**I had writers block on this chapter all weekend. I knew what I wanted to happen, I just had no idea _how_.**

**I'm actually quite content with this outcome.  
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**I do not own Young Justice, or... _another_ character mentioned (or is a main character...) in this chapter.  
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It had been a year.

One year ago, the bright, happy, thirteen year old Robin, otherwise known as Dick Grayson, had been taken from this world. His laugh had faded, his smile vanished, his being lost to the darkness of death.

It was on that night that Bruce Wayne, also known as Batman, found himself patrolling Gotham. He had considered staying at the manor so his emotions could not distract him too much, but the hero soon realized that crime still went on without him.

Thus, the Dark Knight was fighting a huge crowd of thugs. They had been attempting to mug an innocent woman, and had obviously not expected the Bat to stop them.

Seems like the Joker was spreading around that it was... _that _day. To bad for the criminals, Batman worked even through the pain.

After knocking out the last of the goons, the somber Dark Knight started to head back to where he parked the Batmobile, dully noting it was in Crime Alley. He hadn't noticed that earlier; the death of his son had distracted him from the fact he was near the area that his parents died.

As he approached his vehicle, the hero's eyes widened in surprise and shock.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Barbara Gordan was mourning her lost love.

She still had every newspaper that had mentioned his death. She had been, and still slightly was, deathly afraid that if she didn't keep them she would forget he was gone. While this would normally be a good thing, the girl knew that every time she was reminded of that sad fact her heart would hurt as much as it did when she first found out if she did truly forget.

In honor of her beloved friend's death that had occurred a year ago, Barbara was flipping through newspapers that mentioned his demise. While she broke down in tears at every article about him came up, it wasn't until she turned to a page of the issue the day after Dick's body was found that she stopped, staring at the page in shock.

Bruce couldn't believe what he was seeing. It wasn't really of much importance, in the long run. He could easily stop the being quickly working on his car. The Dark Knight just didn't know that there was even a kid with that much guts.

Barbara looked down at the date listed in the article. It was the same day that Dick had died, one year before. How could she not have seen the connection before?

The boy holding the Batmobile's tire looked up when Batman took a step forward, shock quickly engulfing his small face. The tool being used to pry the tires away was quickly dropped, hitting the cement below loudly.

Barbara scolded herself for such stupidity. She should have realized this ages ago. The body structure was identical, as was the voice. It would also explain why Dick had always had so many bruises and scars; she was sure Bruce wasn't abusing the boy, they were far too close. Double-checking the paper to make sure she wasn't jumping to ridiculous conclusions, Barbara realized that Dick and Bruce may have had some... _interesting _ways to bond.

The child looked so small and fragile. He was short, even smaller than Dick had been. The boy had pale skin, contrasted with many bruises, scraps, and scars marring the tender flesh. Pitch black hair framed his pale face, much like Dick's hair had, only much more unorganized. It was the boy's eyes that truly caught Bruce's attention- they were a very light blue. Not nearly as bright as Dick's eyes had been, but they seemed like the brightness was supposed to be there. That it was dimmed, somehow, by whatever life the child had faced on the street.

Suddenly, Barbara realized Dick's cause of death wasn't even as mysterious as it had been. If her suspicions were correct, which she truly thought they were, then this issue of the newspaper had actually reported her friend's death twice without even knowing it. Reading the second article, she felt her blood run cold with each word. Dick, her best friend, her secret crush, her _true love_, had gone through such... torture? It was enough to make her heart ache in near physical pain.

What possibly shocked Bruce the most was that the boy was still trying to get away with the tires.

As the child started to scoop up the heavy tires, almost as big as him together, the Dark Knight quickly pulled him in his own direction.

"What do you think you're doing?"

More surprises came for Bruce when the kid answered.

"Trying to make a living."

"Stealing is not a living."

The boy shrugged slightly, a fierce glare being sent at the hero soon afterward.

"Well, it gets money. Some of us can't afford big fancy cars, or a bunch of cool gadgets, or a high-tech costume."

Bruce looked at the child again. There was definite hurt in those eyes, those blue eyes so similar yet so different from the only eyes he truly wished he could see dancing with light again...

"Where are your parents?"

A deep scowl formed suddenly on the kid's face, though it was quickly wiped away as the boy answered in a drawl.

"Well, Batman, I wouldn't know. My dear old dad abandoned my mom and me ages ago, though I think he's dead now. I will admit my mom is dead. Overdosed on drugs. The norm."

What kind of life was it where overdosing on drugs was considered normal?

Certainly not one appropriate for a child to be leading.

This new information made Bruce's decision for him. Taking a firm grip on the kid's arm, he pulled him towards the Batmobile.

"Hey- What are you doing?"

"You're coming home with me."

He had _bled_ to death. Dick, sweet, perfect Dick, had _bled _to death.

That is, if she was correct in her assumptions, he did.

Looking down at the article about the death of Robin, the Boy Wonder, Barbara decided there was no way she was wrong.

Now realizing the full truth, Barbara only started to love Dick more. He had spent his teenage years saving those in need. Most kids his age would only care about the next level on their video game, or the next big sports event. Meanwhile, he had been stopping criminals and saving lives.

Of course, she realized quickly that his heroics was what caused him to die. She should hate that he was Robin, despise that he risked his life when he knew that some people wouldn't be able to go on without him...

However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not dislike that he was a hero. It was an honorable way to to leave this life, even if the one who took it had been far from honorable.

Suddenly, she realized that she really liked the idea of being a hero.

So much that she herself may need to try it.

"Wouldn't this count as kidnapping?"

Even as the boy sat locked in the Batmobile as Bruce reattached the wheels so they could leave, he was raving about how this was not legal and how he demanded to be let go.

"It's for your own good. You are almost guaranteed to be either dead or caught up in a gang within a year if you stay here. With me, you actually have a chance on a future."

The child turned away with a huff as the hero sat down in the driver's seat next to him. They drove in silence for a few minutes when Bruce realized he was about to tell his secret identity to a boy he knew next to nothing about.

"What is your age?"

The boy did not turn towards Bruce while answering.

"11"

"What's your name?"

"I don't have to tell you that."

"I'm about to offer you a good home, and you won't even tell me your name?"

"How can I be sure your house is so good?"

"You're the one who pointed out that I have rather expensive tools for my crime-fighting."

"For all I know, you spent all your cash on the stuff."

"Just trust me on this."

"Not likely."

"Your name?"

"... Jason."

"Jason what?"

Since Dick had kept a watch on Batman, now certainly known to Barbara to be Bruce, he would need someone to help him now. Maybe she could fill in with that. To honor Dick, to protect the one he had seen as his father.

She wasn't quite decided yet, but she was liking the name "Batgirl".

"Jason Todd, happy now?"

Bruce couldn't help but smirk at the boy's, now known as Jason, reaction.

"Yes, I am actually. Welcome to the Bat Cave, by the way."

Jason looked out the window suddenly, realizing they had arrived.

As he opened the door for Jason, Bruce kept a close watch on the child, thinking about what he was about to do.

It was for Dick. His son had always cared for everyone, now it was Bruce's turn. Jason had obviously been hurt deeply, even if he would not admit it. The hero was determined to help the child. Even if that meant telling someone he barely knew who he really was.

When he was sure the boy was fully paying attention to him, even though his eyes kept wandering to the giant penny only a few yards away, Bruce lowered his cowl. A gasp of recognition and shock escaped Jason's mouth.

"You told me who you are. Jason, I'm Bruce Wayne. It is a pleasure to meet you."

As the shock turned to a smirk on Jason's face, Bruce knew he had done the right thing. Dick would be proud of him.

That he was sure of.

**There. JASON. He has been my plan ever since this story grew past a two-shot. I love that boy almost as much as I adore Dick.**

**This chapter, as well as the next one, is set-up for the sequel. There's only one left, people! Then the story will continue under a separate title...  
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**Please review! For Jason...  
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	10. Introductions

**This is it.**

**The final chapter of Fallen Friend.  
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**I do not own Young Justice.  
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Jason Peter Todd was still not completely sure what he felt about living in Wayne Manor.

He'd been living in the spacious home for six months now, and it still just didn't feel.. right. It was a world of improvement from his old "home", to be sure, but some things about the household, such as the rules and master of the house, made the boy feel... uncomfortable.

For example, there was one room he was not allowed to enter ever. This was rather hard to resist temptations to do so, seeing as it was right next to his own room. While most kids were told not to go into the study, or their parent's office, Jason was allowed to enter any room. Except for this one bedroom.

He was both frustrated and intrigued by the possibilities of what could be behind the hard wood door. So, when he heard Bruce opening said door at about eleven at night the week before, he had to sneak a peek.

When he had cracked the door open and saw hard, unbreakable Bruce tearing up while entering, Jason knew whose room that had been.

The amazing, perfect, beloved (yet next to never mentioned...) Dickie Bird must have resided that humble room during his life. Of course he wasn't allowed inside, he might ruin the perfection Grayson had left behind...

Which was another thing about Wayne Manor that really, _really_ bothered Jason.

The fact that, no matter what he did, he was compared to some guy who was dead.

The day after he came to the manor he had convinced Bruce to train him to be Robin (How? Lot's of begging.). Every time he did a single move, though, it was either "almost as Dick was" or "Dick did so much better".

Bruce never said this aloud, of course. The hero rarely talked about his precious fallen bird. It was more body language that told Jason what his mentor was thinking.

These words were expressed when Bruce looked at the display case located right next to the training area. It held Dickie Bird's costume, as well as the words "Dick Grayson; Beloved Son" written underneath it.

Whenever Bruce looked at the case with a smile during training, Jason was _almost_ as good as precious Dick. When Bruce looked at the case with a frown, Jason was near hopeless in the man's eyes.

The truly sad part was that Jason was kind of jealous of Dick. He was jealous. Of some dead kid.

There was literally no way to sink much lower.

However, he could never stop himself from glaring at that dumb display case whenever Bruce wasn't around.

That night, however, as he entered the Bat cave, Jason realized that there just may some good things about living with Bruce in the manor.

Like the Robin costume in his size the hero was holding up.

Excitement growing inside him, Jason ran towards his mentor.

"Is that what I think it is?"

A small smile graced Bruce's features before he answered.

"If you think its your Robin costume, then that would be a yes. You've been doing good in training. I think you're ready to meet the league as the new Robin, so suit up."

The boy pumped his fist into the air in victory before grabbing the costume swiftly, running in a different direction to change into his new persona.

Ten minutes later, the two heroes were standing in front of Gotham's zeta beam to the cave. Jason was still smiling widely after a ride in the Batmobile, and looked up at the hero expectingly.

"I'll go through first, Robin. Come in directly after me so you are not alone for as short a period as possible."

Batman entered the telephone booth, vanishing almost instantly.

His grin widening in excitement, Jason followed his mentor.

He soon entered a huge open area, directly behind Bruce. The man turned to him before walking onward.

"Both the main members of the Justice League and the whole Young Justice team is in the living room. I told them I had an important announcement that would affect them all. You will stand right out here until you here my signal. Got it?"

Though Jason felt a need to ask what exactly the signal he was listening for was, he nodded his head.

Seconds later the boy found himself alone in the huge cave, listening to the words being spoken on the other side.

"What is this all about, Batman? We heard the beams not just announce you, but a _Robin_ as well. Unless my memory is suddenly faulty, he's gone."

Jason kept listening. The topic was already towards him, so this mysterious signal should be coming soon...

"That is exactly what I'm here to talk to you about. Six months ago, I made a bit of a change in the manor."

"Would this 'change' be the reason you've barely been doing your duties with the league?"

"Yes, Diana. Now, since Clark directly brought up the.. change, I will show what I've gathered you all here for. Jason?"

The boy in question blinked before entering. That... was not nearly as complicated as what he expected.

As soon as he was standing next to his mentor, a red head in a yellow costume speed up to him, a snarl on his face.

"Who the hell are you?"

Jason took an involuntary step back out of instinct.

"What?"

"Who are you, and what are you doing in Dick's costume?"

Jason could feel his anger rising slowly and his black-gloved hands curling into tight fists. No matter where he went, he was never as amazing as the brilliant, perfect Dick. Freaking. Grayson.

"This is Jason. He is your new teammate."

Before Jason was able to show the Flash Brat what he was made of, Bruce had answered for him. Obviously he had seen the anger on the boy's face and was trying to avoid any incidents.

"How could you let some random punk take Dick's place?"

Annoyance flashed in Bruce's eyes behind the cowl, though Jason felt that he was the only one who noticed it. Otherwise, he doubted every hero in the room would be glaring daggers at him.

"Jason is his own person. He is not here to replace anyone."

A teenager that looked like a mini-Superman (and dressed like it, too- only difference was a complete lack of color-and tights- and capes... Okay, maybe it wasn't similar. Same symbol, anyway.) walked towards Batman, a deep scowl on his features.

"If he isn't here to replace Robin, there why is he in his costume? Can the kid even fight?"

It was the questioning of his talent that made Jason snap.

"I'm Robin now, mini-Supes. And if you want to see if I can fight, how about I show you."

As his gloved fist rose in a threat, the older hero got into a defensive stance.

That is, until Bruce rose an arm to put the younger boy behind his back.

"Superboy, while Jason's response was not the right way to deal with this, you should not have openly criticized your new teammate. Engaging in a fight with him is even worse. Stand down."

A fierce, hate-filled glare was sent at Jason by Superboy (such a creative name...), but the teenager listened to Batman nonetheless, moving back to stand next to a girl with green skin.

Sending his best Bat-glare at every teenager in the room, Bruce soon spoke again.

"Clark, Diana, Barry, and Ollie. I need to talk to you. Meanwhile-" another glare sent at the teens- "The team should get to know their new teammate."

Superman started to walk past his friend, the other adult heroes following him.

"I agree. We need to talk."

Before going after his comrades, Bruce knelt down to speak to Jason quietly.

"Don't start any fights purposefully. However, if they get even slightly physical, you have my permission to detain them. Understand?"

Jason crossed his arms, staring at the floor, annoyed.

"Yeah."

Soon, his mentor had left the room, leaving Jason completely alone with a whole team of teens who thought he was replacing (who would have guessed) the brilliant Dick Grayson.

This was certain to not end well.

For a moment there was just an awkward silence. It was during this time that Jason realized just how small he was compared to the other young heroes. He knew he was small for his age, 11 with his birthday in a week... or the next day.

It was a bit hard keeping track of time in the manor, with training and all.

The silence did not last, though, when a blond girl holding a bow stood up.

"So... You've been with Bats long?"

This was extremely more friendly than anything else said to him by anyone other than Bruce the whole time Jason had been there. This caught the boy by surprise.

He was rather content to see it took Kid Flash by surprise as well, as he was looking at the girl with disbelief and slight betrayal in his eyes.

"No, not really. Only six months..."

The green girl standing next to Superboy spoke softly.

"So... You never knew Dick?"

Underneath his mask, Jason couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"No, I've never met my predecessor. Until Bruce picked me up, I'd lived on the streets my whole life- don't meet many superheroes that way."

Kid Flash started to mutter under his breath, though Jason could still hear him easily.

"I was right, he's just some stupid street punk. Bats gave Dick's identity to some random brat..."

A hand suddenly appeared on the speedster's shoulder. Looking up, Wally saw the team's leader. Kaldur had not said anything so far through Batman's announcement, but as he lifted his hand from Kid Flash's shoulder and stepped towards the young boy, this was obviously about to change.

"Welcome. I'm Aqualad, or Kaldur, and I am the team's leader. Despite some initial reactions, I'm sure you will a good contribution to the team.

Though he should have welcomed an even semi-open greeting, Jason could see the hidden undertones in the leader's voice.

Also, he could see the glares being sent his way by Kid Flash and Superboy.

So, even though his little bit of sense told him this was an immensely dumb idea, Jason spoke.

"Yeah, tell that to Flash Boy and Superbrat."

It wasn't until the Kryptonian stood up in a fit of rage did Jason realize just how dumb his words had been.

"How about I take you up on your offer from earlier?"

Superboy charged at him, hatred evident on his face. The new Robin tried to back away, but his back hit the wall of the cave.

Jason may have wanted to fight, but he didn't think he could take on a being with super strength quite yet. The boy winced as he saw a fist about to crash into his small body-

Only to be stopped by Superman himself.

Jason was swept away by Bruce only moments later, so he didn't get to see the boy scout lecture anyone. However, he could still see hatred in the older boy's eyes as he was led off.

On the way back to the manor in the Batmobile, it was initially silent. Soon, though, the young boy broke the ice.

"So... How did your talk go?"

Jason noticed Bruce rolling his eyes slightly.

"Exactly how I expected. They were upset I was letting a twelve-year-old join me after what happened to Dick, they tried to convince me to not let you be Robin, they started getting desperate, and then we heard Superboy trying to attack you. Which reminds me, if he gives you trouble again, tell me. I'll give you a small, non-lethal piece of Kryptonite for your belt."

Jason laughed slightly.

"I'll remember that.. Wait. You said twelve. Don't you mean eleven?"

"It's past midnight. Happy birthday, Jason."

The boy soon realized Bruce was right. He was a whole year older, as well as Robin.

He may be living in the shadow of some kid he never met, and would have to deal with a team that mostly hated him, but life seemed sort of good at that moment.

Far away from the Batmobile, Dick Grayson smiled.

"You couldn't have chosen a better Robin, Bruce. If only Wally and Conner could see that... They will. Eventually."

One year and six months before, Richard John Grayson was taken from life by a maniac. While his parting brought pain for many, it also was the beginning of something completely new.

Like a lost young boy learning what it meant to be a hero, and to actually have someone care for him.

The original Robin may be gone, but life does move on. Some changes may be for the better.

However, there is always someone who wants to send this brave new world into the complete chaos it started with. Someone with a wicked smile and a haunting laugh.

**Before we move on, I would like to thank everyone who favorited this story, put it on their alerts, and most of all reviewed. **

**This story may be done, but it shall continue on...  
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**Be on the lookout for the sequel! It shall be called "Rising Ally", and should be out soon.  
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**Thank you for reading, and please review!  
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